Shopping List

Tonight’s Guardian has released the infamous “John Lewis” shopping list re MP’s expenses claims. The list comprises precedents for second home expenditure that MP’s can legitimately claim, all based on prices in the high street store “John Lewis”.

I assume that most MP’s already have these items in their “first” homes, so to accumulate such ostentatious items in their mid week abodes is nothing short of sheer greed.

As a national cost saving measure, perhaps I could recommend Shields Town Centre. It has a Wilkinson’s, Pound Shop’s, Curry’s Digital, and my God, would you believe it, an Argos – all selling the items highlighted below at greatly reduced prices.

Mind you, I can’t ever remember seeing David Miliband filling out his Argo’s order card. Never mind, perhaps he’s waiting to inherit the furnishings at No 10.

Claims MPs can make on their parliamentary expenses to furnish their second homes:

Air conditioning unit: £299.99
Bed: £1,000
Bedside cabinet: £100
Book case/shelf: £200
Bookcase/cabinet: £500
Carpet: £35 per square metre
Carpet fitting: £6.50 per square metre
Coffee maker/machine: £100
Coffee table: £250
Dining armchairs: £150 each
Dining chairs: £90 each
Dining table: £600
Dishwasher: £375
Drawer chest (5): £500
Dressing table: £500
Food mixer: £200
Free-standing mirror: £300
Fridge/freezer: £550
Gas cooker: £650
Hi-fi/stereo: £750
Installation of new bathroom: £6,335
Installation of new kitchen: £10,000
Lamp table: £200
Nest of tables: £200
Recordable DVD player: £270
Rugs: £300
Shredder: £50
Sideboard: £795
Suite of furniture: £2,000
Television set: £750
Tumble dryer: £250
Underlay (basic): £6.99 per square metre
Wardrobe: £700
Washer-dryer: £500
Washing machine: £350
Wooden flooring/carpets: £35 per square metre
Workstation: £150

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/mar/13/houseofcommons